St. Maarten Private Eye

In the last Island Council Election last year PJD2 (I could have the source wrong, but I think I'm right) did a survey about the most important issues. The usual answers like education, crime, etc came up. Make a guess which issues hardly garnered any percentage points.......Environment & Animal Welfare.

So what happened? JUST like the US where politicians go as the people and the polls (talking points) go, SXM politicians went the same route. No serious discussion about those topics whatsoever because the majority of their constituents could care less. My point: While Veen, Deher, Caballero & Co. does admirable work, somethig is amiss! There is a disconnect between what they do and why people don't care (or think not important enough) about what they do.

I will say this again and again with no malice intended: These groups have to go into districts and involve the people of those districts to even see a slight change in attitude. I specifically mean places like Middle Region, Suckergarden, Dutch Quarter, St. Peters, Ebenezer, South Reward. The districts where more than 90% of the population of SXM resides.

Not just conduct a clean-up ever so often, go door to door, touch the people, treat it like a political campaign. THATS how you reach true sxm people. Alot of people on SXM view these groups as elitist and tailored for the bored, affluent, white & foreign demographic of the populace. Don't kill the messenger, I'm just stating what I know based on several discssions with people.

The nice pictures in the papers of whatever event seems to draw the same base of people every year. We have award shows that award the same people every year. The impression is you are just tapping eachother on the back for a job well done. When in fact, you have shown little progress when it comes to raising awareness to influence the the level of priority people place on the issues you champion.

Notice I said little progress, not "no" progress. Even the youth show little or no interest. I have a newsflash: A few young people who make environmental videos and take part in science fairs does not constitute "high concern" or involvement among young people. Quite the contrary. In fact I'm sure if you ask these kids who make the videos, they will tell you that their peers have little or no interest in what they do. And the majority of these kids have parents who are involved in the environmental groups or are environmental and animal welfare activists. It's almost natural then, that their children follow the same road. Therefore I do not think their positive achievements should be used as a barrometer for the rest of St. Maarten's teens.

Based on a survey conducted by the youth newspaper teen times in one of their recent issues, only 13 out of 100 young people showed an incling of Environmental concern. And who were those young people? Children of people who are actively involved in the environmental and animal welfare groups.

You will forever be taking 10 steps forward and 100 steps back if you do not somehow alter your approach. And if you don't think you are taking 100 steps back, then you are dilusional. I don't judge progress on how many meetings you've had, how many times you've met with government (I think they meet with you just to gag you by the way) how many clean-ups and awards you've won or even how popular you may be. I judge progress on how seriously my people take an isses and how actively they participate in bringing a positive change.

Simply put, in my humble opinion, you are not supported by the people that truly matter. As foundations I believe it's time to re-evaluate. Years after all your efforts we are stil here debating the same things. Ask yourself why. But thats just my take. Hope I didn't offend anyone.

Juliana Baptiste